TARJA TURUNEN (ex-NIGHTWISH) has issued the following new blog entry:

"The final work for What Lies Beneath has started.

In these last couple of weeks I have been daily preparing the production, schedules, arrangements for the songs and for the album itself.

It feels great to be able to start the recordings very soon, since I have been waiting for the moment already for a long time. I am truly excited to witness how all will unfold!

The process for my second album started back in June 2008. Among the first songs that my friends and I composed at that time, a character called “Naiad” was born. The fantasy story of Naiad gave me the idea for the album title and for the whole album concept: What Lies Beneath.

Let’s start getting together into the spirit of the album.

Find here the lyrics of Naiad. It is a very important song in the album and means a lot to me personally.

Naiad (Torsten, Angela, Adrian and Tarja)

She hears the distant soft caress

there in the gloom.

Colours surround with tenderness

guiding her through.

In the forgotten sweet abyss

another sound

twilight floating memories

always without.

Gloaming

there above the surface

an illusion

reaching down for me.

What lies beneath

beyond the ocean’s door

tranquil is the kiss

of the azure rising deep

sleeping ever more

Naiad’s mystery

what lies beneath.

Guarding their immorality

saints in the sand.

Stranger than beautiful eerie

an ancient land

Circle of sixteen turned to stone

and still they keep

shimmering crystal promises

one space between.

Breathing the newborn waves.

Kneeling for the sea she became.

The last touches for the music, last lines of lyrics and arrangements for the songs need to be done now before getting into the studio.

I have chosen the musicians for each song, the recording and mixing engineers and some the studios where the album will come alive.

We are also starting to organize the artwork and photos for the album.

It has been wonderful to be able to brainstorm again and decide the direction the album is going to take. I hope that you will be surprised again by my work; because that’s the way I like it :)

The recordings of the drums will begin on February 4th. I will be in touch with you daily from the studio, so you will have a chance to read, see and maybe also hear what is happening there."